GBS with irregular heartbeat
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August 23, 2008 at 3:11 pm
I got GBS after the birth of my son, now almost 3. I have many residuals, but they are pretty manageable. My family reminds me often that things are a lot better than when I was in the hospital! One of my symptoms that is bothersome is that I have a very irregular heartbeat, called PVCs. They cause chest pain, SOB, dizzyness etc. I am on a beta blocker that helps, but I was wondering if any GBSers have similar problems. Thanks and take care, Kim
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August 23, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Hi Kim! We were all just posting about our hearts in one of my listings. Got very interesting in the topic too! It’s still in here somewhere and you would be surprised how many of us have simular problems. Lots posted about it too! Hope you feel better soon! Hugs
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August 23, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Hello, Kim and all. I just wanted to make sure that you, Kim, let your cardiologist know if the frequency of times with chest pain, shortness of breath, or dizziness are changing or getting worse. It sounds like you are having a lot of PVCs and may need your medication changed or adjusted. It is okay for anyone to have occasionally “skipped beats” because the heart is designed to be compensate well and continue to work well, however, if someone gets chest pain, shortness of breath, or dizziness, it means that the heart is not compensating well enough at those times. It this lasts a bit or it takes a while to recover, this is not good and needs to be checked out. Symptoms for a second or a few seconds that is quickly recovered from and is not new may not be so worrisome.
With PVCs (premature ventricular beats), the heart empties itself too early and when the next heart beat comes at the scheduled time, it is “late” with respect to the early one and in that extra time, can fill with more blood. This is why this beat feels stronger and people’s chest feel like it is pounding.
If one has a really fast heart beat (tachycardia), the heart cannot fill well and does not pump as much blood as usual. This can lead to dizziness or low blood pressure, and can cause fainting or heart insufficiency because the heart might not be able to work well enough. Children are great to compensate for need for more blood flow (like with activities) with an increase in heart rate, because their hearts are small and cannot increase the amount of blood as much. Adults can too, but adults more often use the amount of blood pumped per heart beat as a way to give more blood than the rate. Adults are sensitive to changes in rate and typically do not do well with really fast rates.
On the other thread, there is discussion about heart vessel clogging as well as about rate issues. These are two different things, although linked. Heart vessel clogging causing heart attacks regards the blood going to the heart to give it oxygen. It the heart is beating faster or harder, it needs more oxygen, but people can have heart failure without having significant heart vessel blockages. If the rate is too fast, the heart fails to keep up to supply blood and oxygen to the body well enough. So one is with respect to oxygen to the heart so that it can work okay and the other is the heart working okay to give enough ozygen to the body. Both regard the heart, but the reason for “failure” is different. I hope this is understandable.
The autonomic system has as part of it to help regulate heart rate and if the nerves to the heart are affected by GBS/CIDP, the heart rate can be off.
I just wanted to make sure that no one thinks it is okay to have bad, persistent or progressive chest pain or dizziness or shortness of breath. If something is significant that you have to sit or lie down to keep from passing out, it needs attention. Please!
WithHope for a cure of these diseases. -
August 23, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Thanks for the messages. As I was in labor, one of my first symptoms of GBS was my irregular heartbeat. I have seen so many cardiologists its unreal, but thats the norm with GBS (my neuro dr count is even higher).
My current cardiologist believes that since my autonomic nervous system was attacked, it affected my heart rate, and as the nerves get more myelin and work better, my symptoms will also. The beta blocker was a test of finding the right dose, because my BP would also spike high and low. The moral of the story was that in the hospital, my first incompetent neuro dr thought I was just a nervous new mother, and sent me home even though I told him that I just didn’t feel right. It took a few weeks to get to the crisis point, and I was transfered from cardio to neuro to cardio again-it was crazy! When I was discharged from the rehab center two months later, I was the one to push for followup with the cardio-the moral of the story is that you have to take strong proactive care of yourself, and when you don’t feel right, keep looking for a dr that will take you seriously. Take care, Kim
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